What I will do if PDP zones its 2027 presidential ticket to the south – Wike
Former governor Nyesom Wike a few days after appealing to the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) not to repeat its 2023 mistake of giving its presidential ticket to a northern politician, disclosed that he will not contest in the 2027 presidential election.
Nyesom Wike made this remark in an interview with BBC Pigin. He enjoined the PDP leadership to adhere to the party’s constitution on zoning and zone its presidential ticket to the South in 2027.
Nyesom Wike reminded the party’s leadership that it its was lack of the party’s respect for its constitution on zoning that resulted in its presidential election defeat in 2023.
Speaking on whether he is interested in the PDP 2027 presidential ticket, Nyesom Wike stated that he stands to work for the reelection of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 and would not contest for the presidential seat. He declared that he is working for president Tinubu and would not contest against him but that whether or not he will contest in 2027 that the PDP ought to zone its presidential ticket to the South.
However, when he was probed further by the interview on his political ambition, former governor Wike vaguely stated: “they said they would zone it to the South, let them zone first. When we get to the bridge, we will know how to cross it,” he added suggesting that he is not disinterested in about the party’s zoning arrangement.
The minister of the federal capital territory also stated that no amount of political gang up or coalition of the opposition parties would stop Tinubu’s reelection in 2027. According to him, no Nigerian politician is formidable enough and posseses the political might to defeat president Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
Nyesom Wike also in same interview with the BBC Pigin, commented on the ongoing political crisis in Rivers state; crisis which culminated in the suspension of governor Sim Fubara. According to Wike, governor Fubara is at present is the determinant of how the Rivers state political crisis pans out. He revealed that he informed Fubara the day he visited him alongside with two APC governors that he is ready for reconciliation especially if Fubara is ready for to agree to a proposed peace deal.
Wike added that it was not his intention to fight Fubara whom he said is his political son and boy. He said his fight with Fubara is due to some Rivers State politicians who were reaping where and what they did not sow. According to Wike, Celestine Omehia and George Sekibo misled governor Fubara.
The former governor of Rivers state enjoys unprecedented political influence across the two major political parties in Nigeria. While he remains an integral member of the PDP amid anti-party allegation against him by the party’s faithful, Nyesom Wike enjoys the loyalty of prominent members of the PDP leadership. Reports also suggest that the APC leadership structure in Rivers state are also loyal to him.
He has consistently denied harbouring the intention of leaving the PDP for the APC, a party under whose leadership he is currently serving as a member of its presidential cabinet.
